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39 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"He's Just Not That Into You" - Your date-by-numbers guide!, February 10, 2009
Hey, you...stop sitting by the phone waiting for him to call...get up and go watch this movie!
I have to admit, I'm not much of a rom-com watcher. Unlike others of its ilk, though, this flick wisely admits that relationships aren't all rainbows and butterflies, but that they are complicated, confusing, messes that aren't necessarily all sorted out by the time the credits roll.
The premise is simple enough - the film claims:
"If a guy says he'll call and doesn't, he's not in the hospital with a broken number-dialing finger; he's just not that into you".
After a mediocre first date with pre-recession real estate agent Conor (Kevin Connolly), the film's main protagonist Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin), over zealous for date success and naively optimistic as ever, is certain that she has found Mr. Right. But when he doesn't call, her friends (Jennifer Aniston as Beth and Jennifer Connelly as Janine) comfort her with assurances of his interest and case studies of how they knew someone who knew someone in the exact situation - and it worked out for them, of course!
Not that Beth or Janine are living it up in the mansion of romantic bliss, mind you. Aniston's character has been living with Neil (Ben Affleck) for seven years, and for five of the seven, she's been dying to know why he won't pop the question. Wholly against the institution of marriage, though, Neil says that he's totally committed to her and he doesn't need a piece of paper to prove...yadda, yadda, yadda.
Connelly's character Janine on the other hand is married. Happily? Not so much. Ben's (Bradley Cooper) baby blues are soon tempted toward blonder waters when he meets Anna (Scarlet Johansson) at a convenience store one fine evening; how convenient. Too bad he's married, he reasons.
Drew Barrymore easily plays Mary, Anna's friend. Her role is pretty forgettable; but then she did spend most of her time producing the movie.
Justin Long plays Alex, the woman conquering bar owner who decides to school Gigi in the thinking of men, no feelings spared.
For the most part the story lines are tied together in believable ways and it's interesting to watch just how they're all connected - kind of like 6 degrees of separation.
A tough pill to swallow:
Perhaps too realistic at times, "He's Just" exposes the well-intentioned way we women attempt to comfort our spurned friends - not with assurances that despite her many attractive qualities, the guy just isn't interested for one reason or another. Instead, we assure our friends that there is no way he could be uninterested.
Really ladies, if you suspect that your friend is dating a guy who can't see her true worth, before you swell her head with an idealized, irresistible image of herself, please take her to see this movie, and let her do some soul searching. The film will do all the talking for you without patronization.
Be warned:
It's hardly a date movie (unless you want to end the date by breaking up when the scales have dropped from your eyes and you realize that you're more "into" the relationship than your significant other).
Best performances from: Jennifer Connelly as Janine who is more obsessed with the idea that her husband is smoking behind her back than that he is having an affair. Ginnifer Goodwin too has earned her keep. Her embarrassing attempts at securing "the one" are so realistic you will likely find yourself reddening at the all too familiar lengths to which she goes.
Best line from the movie: Listen out for the line the guy uses who ends up with Gigi (won't say who ;-)), it could be the "You complete me" of the 21st century!
Disclaimer:
This film may cause some discomfort. Side effects are generally mild and may include feelings of embarrassment over previous postdate obsession/stalking.
4.5 stars.
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12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic!, June 6, 2009
This has nothing to do with being a chick flick or not. It's a fantastic film filled with experiences that men and women go through in relationships. Great to watch if you're looking for an easy laugh. My wife and I saw it with some friends in the movies, and I must say that part of the fun was hearing the comments and laughs coming from the audience. So have your friends over, open a bottle of wine, and have an enjoyable light-hearted evening. It's worth it.
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13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
He's Just Not That Into You Review from The Massie Twins, February 5, 2009
Is it the feel-bad movie of the year? Although it's disguised as a Valentine's Day chick flick, and the advertising tries to convince guys that it isn't filled exclusively with mushy stuff, it's certainly not fun-loving. Exposing, analyzing and patronizing complex relationships, He's Just Not That Into You is a startlingly relatable film that alternates between reasonably entertaining and "drudging up bad memories." It's more sophisticated than you might think and the humor, which is fairly consistent, doesn't resort to raunchiness. The dating crowd will want to take note, however, that this isn't the type of movie you want to watch with your significant other, as you'll both probably leave feeling guilty, paranoid, overly inquisitive, or all three.
The film follows several relationships, each one originally independent of the other, until they all seem to collide at the conclusion. Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) assumes the stereotype of the pathetic, desperate girl, who obsessively waits for her many dates to call her back. She resorts to begging, stalking, and other degrading acts to win the attentions of multiple guys, each one shrugging her off. Alex (Justin Long), a friendly and experienced bar manager, steps in to give Gigi a few pointers on her depressing failure with the opposite sex. Relying too heavily on his advice and his playful concern, she starts to think Alex is interested in her, leading to even more angst. Their story is the most interesting, considering Alex's often eye-opening advice and the humor in Gigi's failings.
Ben (Bradley Cooper) was rushed into marriage with his wife Janine (Jennifer Connelly) and resultantly falls for the sensual flirtations of Anna (Scarlett Johansson). After a quick seduction, Ben realizes he's destroying the relationship with his wife, but Anna is fixed on the idea that Ben could be her true love. Meanwhile, Conor (Kevin Connolly) is wondering why Anna, who is his current girlfriend, won't sleep with him. This section of the film is the most serious, with tragic and emotional twists at every turn.
Neil (Ben Affleck) and Beth (Jennifer Aniston) have been happily in love for seven years, but when her younger sister announces wedding plans, Beth begins to question why she hasn't been proposed to. Neil doesn't believe in marriage, but Beth feels it's a necessity - leading to doubts, heartbreak and the most unlikely segment of the film.
There are an additional few love stories thrown in, each involving several of the characters from the major three plot lines. Perhaps the most inspiring piece of He's Just Not That Into You is the storytelling approach, which carefully intertwines almost every single character - by the end of the film, it's really just one complex story. The problem is that a series of serious relationships that are falling apart, getting glued back together, or never having a chance to develop, is occasionally not varied enough to keep audiences amused.
The large and recognizable cast is delightful to see, introducing a new familiar face every ten minutes, and the humor is universal and doesn't resort to cheap yucks. The film puts on display every single stereotype, mold, rule, exception, and dilemma of relationships; some are predictable while others are surprising, but the whole spectrum is present. Told chiefly from a woman's perspective (guys are terrible and dishonest most of the time, although at certain points the men get their more unbiased viewpoint portrayed) He's Just Not That Into You is likely to rub a great many people the wrong way. It's not a date movie by any means, but it's also not as unintelligent as it appears.
- Mike Massie
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